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| A draw is secured... |
We all predicted it would be a draw. But nothing like this. A draw with both sides level on scores has only happened for the second time in Test history, last time it happened was back in 1996 when England drew level on scores in the 2nd and last Test with Zimbabwe in Harare.
Starting at 81/2, West Indies looked very far away from a close result but when the pitch started to show spin from Pragyan Ojha and Ravichandran Ashwin's bowling, everything would be coming together for India. Ashwin and Ojha ripped through the top order batting as there was a lack of consistency of the condition of the pitch and as a result, the Windies batsmen couldn't cope with this. Ojha had best ever Test bowling figures of 6-47 with his assistant and Man of the Match contender, Ashwin taking figures of 4-34.
With India stunned at getting the opportunity of batting to win the Test match and take the whitewash by getting 243 in 64 overs, it was anybody's game. The openers of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag took the same approach of lightning fast starts in Tests and it looked like India were in a hurry of finishing the game but Gambhir paid the price by being too hasty by giving a thick edge to Darren Sammy at slip.
Sehwag though was still going like a bullet train and got to 100 in 19 overs with Dravid being the reluctant one who is going to attack. Spin yet again though daunted at another batsman and had one taken as Bishoo struck with Sehwag.
The sell out crowd's hope of an improbable 100th Century vanished as Tendulkar quickly preceded followed by Dravid with the amount of turn the pitch and bowler were able to produce. In came Laxman and Kohli. Brimming with confidence, Kohli took the partnership into attacking mode after the chances of a close match were looking likely with the quick procession of 2 wickets. Laxman was the catalyst of slowing the run rate down and this helped as this looked like a big factor if India had carried on like this and lost.
Laxman was dismissed with the confident and bolstering Ravi Rampaul and looked in good shape. MS Dhoni didn't help either being quickly dismissed leaving India in disarray at 189-6. Kohli took the front step while Ashwin took the role of rotating the strike and looked like 2 young'uns brimming with confidence and eager to take India to victory comfortably. The problem was that if India were targeting victory, they needed to push the run rate further but Kohli being too drastic top-edged Bishoo trying to do a sweep shot but instead went to gully.
19 to win from 30 balls and tensions were rising between the 2 tailenders of Ashwin and Ishant Sharma. The tension nearly reached boiling point as the 2 even resorted to slogging the ball after numerous singles being taken. Rampaul had plans to spoil the party India were planning as he sprayed the stumps with his fast ball to leave Ashwin the player who had broken records and won Man of the Match awards to take India home. But when at the last over, the number 10 of Varun Aaron took the strike, he went into panic attack by slogging and taking a single. The first 2 balls were a swing and miss. The third was a swing and a single. Going into the final ball, it was 2 to win, 1 to draw or no run to lose. All 3 possibilities went through Ashwin's mind but was let down after he pulled the ball to extra cover and jogged comfortably for a single apologetically. Then all of a sudden tried for a second but was halfway acrros the pitch before being easily run out.
Ashwin let the pressure get to him and the hard work of his batting and bowling slip but West Indies will get some confidence from the high class batting in the first innings but these sides are both developing with both sides having the real Test against Australia soon for their next tour.
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